ITV confirms it is in “exclusive discussions” to buy Talpa

ITV has confirmed that it is in "exclusive discussions" regarding an acquisition of Talpa Media, producers of The Voice and other global formats.

Following media reports that followed a story from Broadcast magazine in the UK, ITV has confirmed that it is in “exclusive discussions regarding an acquisition of Talpa.”

The UK-headquartered media company added: “These discussions may or may not result in agreement of a transaction. A further announcement will be made when appropriate.”

When asked for comment before the ITV confirmation, a Talpa Media spokesperson said there was no comment on the Broadcast story stating that ITV was in advanced talks to purchase the Dutch media powerhouse, “except for the fact that Talpa is a 100% John de Mol owned company.” (Pictured: John de Mol)

Talpa Media is behind global singing competition format The Voice, and several other international formats. The company confirmed in September that it had retained Bank of America Merrill Lynch to “register and further investigate the interest shown by international parties in the company.” At that time, reported suitors included Shine Group and FremantleMedia, and speculated price tags for the production company ranged between US$770 million to $900 million (€600 million to €700 million).

The deal, if it happens, would be the latest and probably priciest in a string of high-profile acquisitions by ITV for its ITV Studios division, which has, over the past few years, added such companies as Leftfield Entertainment, Thinkfactory Media, Gurney Productions, The Garden, DiGa Vision and High Noon Entertainment to its roster.

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About The Author

Jillian Morgan is a special reports editor at realscreen with a background in journalism and digital marketing. She joined the publication in 2019 after serving as the assistant editor to trade publications HPAC and On-Site. With a bachelor of journalism from the University of King's College in Halifax, she also works as a freelance writer and fact-checker.